'There is a limit to what they can get away with'

Authorities demolish illegal Arab school established in heart of archaeological site with EU aid in clear violation of Supreme Court ruling.

Contact Editor

Orly Harari, 10/04/18 10:26

Illegal building

Public Relations

Civil Administration teams arrived Monday evening at the Hirbat Zanuta archaeological site in the southern Hevron hills to demolish an illegal building used as a school established in recent weeks with the aid and funding of the European Union.

Six months ago, the Supreme Court struck down a legal process that had continued for more than a decade over the illegal Arab outpost. The judges ruled that the demolition orders issued against the outpost's houses would not be implemented at this stage, on the condition that no further construction took place in the compound.

After the Har Hevron Council's Land Commissioner located the new construction, the Regavim Movement, which takes legal action against illegal Arab building across Israel, approached the Civil Administration, demanding that it act urgently against the offenders, who blatantly violated the Supreme Court ruling.

Last night, the administration's teams arrived at the site to demolish the building.

"We welcome the enforcement by the Civil Administration with determination and speed, while setting clear limits for offenders," said Yishai Hemo, Regavim's coordinator of operations in Judea and Samaria. "It is to be hoped that the Foreign Ministry also sends a determined message to the European countries participating in the violation of the law, which will make it clear to them that there is a limit to the lawlessness."